The Tomahawk pork chop was cooked perfectly but the gravy was too salty to eat. Service is always great! read more

Javier's - Tomahawk pork chop - cooked perfectly!! Gravy - too salty to eat. - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

Not our first time dining at this location. Generally good food and great cocktails, but we have to say we were really here for that Javier ambiance! Complimentary chips and salsa are always a plus. The salsa had the perfect level of spice and seasoning. We didn't have to wait for a table since we were having a late dinner and our server was kind and attentive. Note: The combo plates can be shareable with one other person if neither of you is too hungry. read more

Javier's - Chile Relleno, Enchilada, Taco Combo Plate - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

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Javier's at Irvine Spectrum delivers an outstanding dining experience. The restaurant is beautiful, the atmosphere is lively, and the service is exceptional. Every employee we interacted with was friendly, attentive, and genuinely made us feel welcome. The only reason I'm giving four stars instead of five is the pricing. While I understand premium restaurants come with premium prices, charging $24 for a single enchilada feels excessive, even by Orange County standards. It's difficult to justify that price for one item, no matter how well it's prepared. I hope management takes another look at the menu pricing because everything else from the food quality to the incredible staff is worthy of a five-star experience. read more

2 stars because the food wasn't awful. At the top of the reviews for this place it says vegan and veg options available. No, there isn't. 1 dish for veg., and nothing vegan unless you count chips and salsa. On to the review! Extremely expensive, especially for what you get. I was here a couple years ago and throughly enjoyed it. Perhaps that was because I was with friends and had a couple drinks. So this time just wanted a nice night out. The atmosphere is nice, although I did find the speed in which the staff worked disconcerting. They were all moving so fast it made The whole experience feel rushed. Not that I want slow service, just normal speed. We noticed that the table next to us was ordering drinks. It was pretty obvious that we were being rushed to leave since we didn't order alcohol. The food was very nice looking. However every thing is al a carte. That means I spent $32.00 for 2 vegetable enchiladas. No rice, no beans. Just 2 enchiladas. You can do the math. That's stupid ridiculous. We ordered 2 of the cheapest items on the menu. Rice and beans were an additional $7.00 each. The food was average. No OMG where have you been all my life?! 2 chicken enchiladas were $36. 00. That's all you got. At least the chips and salsa were free. Guac was an additional $15. We got the churro dessert, for $18.00. Again beautiful looking, but the churros were kind of old. Dinner was $104.00 with no alcohol. There's many better places that do not gouge you and make you feel taken advantage of. Oh, one last thing. They have this disclaimer on the menu about preserving the founder's recipes and no changes at all will be allowed. You want to know what I think? They want dishes out of the kitchen ASAP for the table turnover. They don't want to have the kitchen have to think about what they're making. Keep all dishes the same, and it's easier for the kitchen with no changes. Super annoying. We won't go back. read more

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Delicious food as always with a very fun and lively ambiance. Love the large variety of food Options from light to heavy--all of which taste amazing. Their drinks pack a punch too. Definitely a go to for a "nice" meal! read more

Javier's - Guacamole Ceviche de Pulpo - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

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世界上很多美好的事物，並非觸手可及，經過了時間的醞釀和打磨，等待的結果，會顯得更加珍貴，也更令人珍惜～別忘了，人生因堅持而非凡，歲月因努力而閃光～ 跟也是我們版上認識的吃貨美女們來Irvine spectrum 的Javier , 這家墨西哥餐廳到處都有分店，我知道遠到Vegas 也有一家，墨西哥餐廳很多裝潢都很華麗， 這家也非常吸睛，我上去看，yelp 的review 不佳， 不過好友們都來過，她們兩個點的菜都非常好吃， 這倒讓我有點驚訝， 從一坐下來點的飲料，就非常喜歡了， 蝦子ceviche 做的夠酸夠清爽。主菜的豬肉，海鮮pasta, 牛肉，每道我們都很喜歡，真的沒有一道可以抱怨， 所以跟會點菜的人來真的差很大，我覺得，三個女生聊的開心，也吃的很爽 ，唯一就是最近太熱了，在 Irvine spectrum 光從停車場走到餐廳，都快曬乾的感覺，走路時，才發現spectrum 也開太多好餐廳了吧，連上次我介紹過在Tustin 的名店Manaao 也在籌備了，真好，以後跟朋友來這逛街時，想吃什麼都有啦！ read more

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My wife and I have always loved Javier's, especially the Newport location, but our recent experience in Irvine was highly disappointing. When our food was first brought out, it was cold. After requesting that it be remade, the second serving was also cold. Furthermore, when I voiced my frustration, no manager visited our table, and the server only offered a brief apology for the inconvenience. Given this poor service and food quality, we will not return to this location. read more

Stopped by for a drink and the ambiance here is obviously a winner!!! Both of the margs we got were fabulous & the bartenders were really nice and checked on us consistently. Complimentary chips & salsa is always a pleasant surprise, and the salsa was a bit spicy-- we loved it! I've had their food at other locations and can only imagine it's just as good. Would come back to all locations :) read more

Javier's - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

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First off, Javier's no longer asks diners to leave a review on Open Table. It makes me wonder if reviews are falling all around. Today the restaurant was 30 percent full at 2 pm. The music was deafeningly loud. I was told the manager said they only have one volume that cannot be changed. Food still excellent. The waiter today was pleasant, a nice change from last week, but I think our dining-in days are over. read more

We absolutely love coming here before a movie, makes for a perfect night. The ambiance is always so bright and cheery, everyone always in a good mood. The food like always, was delicious. I had to try their mole so I ordered cheese enchiladas with their mole sauce (I don't eat meat so subbing was easy). Hubby had their Chicken Enchilada with a crunchy Chicken Taco. Everything was so delicious. Of course I ordered their Black Mamba Martini.. so I had two! We ended with their delicious flan. The service was always so friendly and our waiter was always so friendly. read more

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Terrible service as we walked in with our son the server looked disgusted with us because we had him on his stroller bike. It was the middle of the day and empty and I asked if we could take him in with it and they said no. Wouldn't recommend this place the food quality is also terrible only good thing is overpriced drinks read more

Went to Javier's for a team happy hour. This is located in the Irvine Spectrum, so there were not any issues with finding a spot for parking. It was busy at that time, so expect to park on level 3 after you're going around 6:00pm We had a reservation for party of 9. They will allow for the party to sit as long as the majority is present at the time at check-in. The staff placed in a section that gave an illusion of a room. This had a nice dimly light interior, but natural sunlight coming in through the windows. Our table had a few appetizers throughout the table, which were all pretty solid. I nearly got full off of those, but still got an order of the trio de enchiladas del mar. This included shrimp, dungeness crab, and lobster, which I thought were all solid. read more

Javier's - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

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A few weeks back my girl friends and I went to Javier's for dinner on a Friday night. It was a great time with yummy food and conversations about life. We had a reservation. *In my opinion, always make reservations if you're going to eat out on a Friday night. You never know if the restaurant will be busy that night, best to be safe so you don't have to wait too long to be seated. Our waitress was great! She helped us with recommendations on food and drinks. We didn't wait that long for our food. I already knew what I wanted which was an espresso martini and the enchiladas pueblo. Before our food arrived, we had their chips, salsa, and ordered a couple guacamole. All were so tasty. The enchiladas pueblo was Maine lobster enchiladas with garlic butter and tomatillo. It was delicious and flavorful! It was exactly what I wanted that night. Definitely recommend this restaurant for girls night or date night! read more

Javier's - Enchiladas Pueblo - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

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Most of the negativity comes from the prices. People in Southern California love acting like they know the best Mexican hole-in-the-wall spot in the world and then run around the area comparing everything to it. Better yet, they compare it to their mother's cooking, who, no offense, probably uses cheap butcher meat and Mazola. You come to Javier's to experience good service, a nice ambiance, and good-tasting, somewhat overpriced Mexican food. If you accept it for what it is, you might have a good experience too. Must-haves: - Queso fundido - Jumbo prawns - Any of their enchiladas - Any of their steaks - Any of their drinks - Pan de elote (but only when it's warm) They are consistent in their service and food quality. Only once did I ever get my filet more rare than medium rare, but it happens to the best of us. The steak crust is there every time, though. My only other annoyance is the wait times at the Irvine location, which are awful even with a reservation. They've been in this business for years; you would think they would have it down by now. You're likely better off going to their Crystal Cove location if you want your time to be respected a little more. Javier's is a solid choice when I am craving good sit-down Mexican food because I don't want to worry about doing the dishes. read more

Javier's - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

Can't believe I reviewed this place 11 years ago and still had the exact same thought... Shocked they do not have a solid 5 star rating. This place is absolutely fantastic. The service is phenomenal the aesthetics of their food is always beautiful and not only does it look good, it tastes amazing. You can barely take two sips out of your soda or water without somebody right there to refill it. I accidentally dropped my napkin and literally within seconds someone was handing me a fresh napkin. This is always our go to spot when we are celebrating anything or just want a great meal. We love sitting out on their patio (and people watching) and just soaking up the great Southern California weather. I really just can't say enough good things about this restaurant. It's always packed and that should speak for itself. read more

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Service was fast and ambiance was great. But I can get the same or better tasting food and a fountain drink for a 1/3 of the price at a mom and pop restaurant. read more

I love sitting at the bar at Javier's. I just dip in here while shopping to cool off, have a cocktail I love their tamarind margarita and pineapple margarita. The black mamba was good too! read more

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Good ambiance and the drinks are delicious yet strong!! Just on the pricer side for what you are getting food and drink wise read more

Javier's - Piña Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

Pricey Mexican food but good quality. Some items were worth the price, but $20 for a side of guacamole is a bit ridiculous. The ambiance is nice and so is the staff. Yummy chips and salsa are served at each table which is nice. Overall, good experience! read more

Javier's - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

Came here for V-Day on Saturday during a 3-day President's Day, Lunar New Year, Ash Wednesday weekend with reservations at 11:30 am. It was empty but they sat us (2 adults and 1 kid) in an awkward booth with another family facing us. We weren't in the mood to complain - so we did not. We got the Cabo Azul, combo beef enchilada and hard shredded beef hard taco, and kids soft skirt steak meal. Hubby had a beer and we both got margaritas. Total was $160 b4 tip. Idk. Ambiance is dark hipster high end. Service was just OK this time NO enthusiasm, recs, or knowledge about the food and/or history. It taste good but def overpriced. read more

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Love Javier's, Irvine Spectrum Location!! Always A Nice Treat To Visit Here!! Love The Vibes, Ambiance & Lovely Decor!! Stunning Bar Lounge Area Too!! Decided To Visit For Lunch!! Nice Hostess, & Decided To Dine At The Bar Counter!! Great Extensive Menu!! Started With Chips & Salsa, Then Ordered The Chicken Enchilada, Chile Relleno & Taco Combo!! Great Lunch!! Bartenders Were Attentive & Courteous!! Will Return To Visit Again!! ThankU read more

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Javier's is always a popular place at Irvine Spectrum. Chips and salsa: Complimentary. Nothing special but I won't complain about free Guac: 8/10. Pretty good and great for your chips. Taquitos: 8/10. I liked it! You get some small ones. The sauce that it comes with is also really good. Queso: 5/10. Very oily. Comes with soft tortillas that are nice, but I really didn't like the queso Short rib: 9.5/10. So good. Very tender and full of flavor. The sauce is awesome, too Trio seafood enchiladas del mar: 7/10. I had high hopes since I heard it was great but I thought it was a bit bland. Also too much tasteless cheese on it. Steak and lobster tail: 9/10. Amazing. Steak is tender. Lobster is perfectly buttery and cooked. Flavor is fantastic. Everything was delicious except the rice, which was very mediocre, but that's probably because I prefer jasmine rice. Churros: 5/10. Not a huge churro fan and this didn't change my mind. Didn't care for it. Tres leches: 6/10. A little lacking in flavor. Overall, there are some very mediocre dishes and some excellent dishes, but I don't think the prices justify any of it. Weekends are insanely busy. Be ready with reservations. Weekday lunches are easier to walk in. It feels pretty casual since it's at Irvine Spectrum and I usually sit outside in the patio area. But it's overall a nice ambience. It's darker inside. As usual with Irvine Spectrum, parking is free but hard to find since it's so busy. read more

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Went to try Javier's at the Irvine Spectrum. Fantastic service. Had the shrimp ceviche which was ok 3 gals shared the two person platter and we had left overs. Plenty of chips and tasty salsa Would give 5 stars but it is a fairly expensive place. read more

Javier's - Came Tampiquena with chicken and skirt steak another option could be carnitas. - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

Amazing service, great music, delicious food! The enchiladas suizas are sooo good!! I have gluten allergy and they made sure the dish was made separate from the flour tortillas so there was no cross-contamination. Carlos was so funny!! (see attached photo) read more

Javier's - Carlos - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

So good. Unusual menu options that I have not found anywhere else including shrimp, crab, and lobster enchiladas. I really enjoyed our meal here. read more

Special ambience, amazing service and wonderful food! It's a must to try if you are looking for a great experience!!! We loved our visit today and will be back soon !!! read more

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I'm just gonna be brutally honest. Everyone has been hyping this up, but it was alright. They do give u big portions though, so I was surprised and happy about that. The only things I really enjoyed were the drinks and the ceviche! The ceviche trio with shrimp, OCTOPUS, and TUNA. Wow, the octopus and tuna is amazing. The servers were nice though and the interior was beautiful :) But for the price, that's a basic. Nothing super eye opening. I think I was expecting so much from all the hype it was getting. read more

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We arrived @ 7:55pm for our 8pm reservation because the last time we came to this location we had to wait 45 MINUTES to be seated. Today we waited 25 minutes to get seated. read more

I have been to this location multiple times. Every time is solid. But I'm specifically reviewing my experience on Mother's Day. My mimosas were exquisite. Some mimosas taste off or the ratio just isn't what it should be. These were perfection. I always get my mimosas with pineapple juice instead of orange juice. And these does not disappoint. I ordered the Mar y Tierra and it was divine. The steak was cooked perfectly and the lobster texture was everything it should be. The filet was one of those fillets that you keep thinking about days afterwards. This was fantastic because I had recently had a horrible filet at RH in Newport and it really bummed me out. Sometimes Javier's can turn into a scene but you just have to know when to go and when not to go if that's not your thing. Mother's Day was perfection. Thank you, Javier's, for contributing to a very warm memory for me. read more

Came here for lunch during work for a colleague's birthday. The service was so bad that I can't believe I am at a real restaurant. The server barely speaks English and has no idea what it means to be in the service industry. Not one smile, and was impatient, left us without warning when we were asking about the drink menu, and did not return until we grabbed someone else. The scallop I ordered was spoiled, and the server kept questioning me until I told him to try it himself. Would not recommend even if this is a run-down restaurant, especially at this price point. read more

First time at Javier's to celebrate my husbands birthday. Overall, the food was good and the drinks were amazing. Would I come back? Probably not. The food was definetely on the expensive side. Of course, it is considered a "high-end" Mexican restaurant, so that is a given, but I do wish they would provide a bit more sides. For example, I ordered the spinach enchiladas. And as someone who loves their meat, they were great. However, they came with no sides of rice or beans. You had to order them extra. I just think for the price, it should include rice and beans at minimum. The service was exceptional. Our waiter was friendly and always on top of our order. We never had an issue there. We did go on a Saturday around 2PM, so it was pretty empty but it was still a nice setting, but great decor and lighting. It is an open concept so it can get a little warm, but nothing a good drink can't fix! One thing that did surprise me is that they are not stroller friendly. We did get asked to leave the stroller outside in a "stroller parking" but it's really just on the side of the restaurant with no supervision. I understand it is high end, but it was also in the middle of the day where it wasn't super packed. We could have easily placed it under the table or on the side. If it was at night time, I would understand, but it was just a bit of an inconvenience that it was not family friendly. read more

Javier's - guava margarita - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

To start, the service was wonderful. We were seated immediately and brought chips and salsa. My jalapeño margarita came out quickly and was delicious. We got the chicken taquitos to start, they came with an avocado cream sauce that was amazing. It was topped with a fresh slaw. We got one of their chicken entrees and absolutely loved it. The chicken was cooked perfectly and the sauce was creamy and had amazing flavour. It was busy when we went and I can tell why. Very clean restaurant and delicious. read more

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Nestled on the outskirts of the mall setting, Javier's in Irvine nails that romantic, upscale vibe without feeling stuffy. The place is dimly lit and cozy--perfect for date night or a special occasion. We were seated right away, and honestly, there seemed to be just as many staff members as patrons, but that meant the service never missed a beat. Glasses were always full, and the chips and salsa kept coming (and yes, they're dangerously addictive). The food? Absolutely delicious--beautifully plated and full of flavor. It's not your comadre or abuelita's heaping portions, but everything hits the spot and leaves you satisfied rather than stuffed. Overall, Javier's delivered on great food, great service, and a romantic atmosphere worth coming back for. read more

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Arrived on time to reservation and went to the bathroom. They refused to sit the rest of my party even though I was in the building and already showed up initially to check in for the reservation. They gave our table to someone else and made us wait 15 more minutes, just to sit us outside in the cold. They are very stuck up here! read more

The thing about Javier's is that it's really not authentic Mexican food, and the flavor never quite hits. It's definitely more about the ambiance and aesthetic than the food itself. Feels pretty mid every time, but people go for the vibe. read more

LONG WAIT. EXPENSIVE MEDIOCRE FOOD. Will not return. Arrived on time for our 7:30pm reservation and waited a full hour in a chaotic crowd just to be seated, with no apology or attempts to make amends from management. The food is extremely overpriced for Mexican cuisine ($75 ceviche trio, $40 salad). Drinks were mediocre--a margarita was sent back for being overly strong, instead of remaking it, same drink was returned watered down in a taller glass. My salad was ordered with dressing on the side but arrived fully dressed, I was confused when I had to explain what "on the side" means. Our waitress was kind, but the experience was VERY poorly managed overall. read more

Javier's - People crowding just to check in and be seated. - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

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Girls night with friends visiting from out of town. The server, Edwin was pretty great! Strong command of the menu (food and Drink) and great recommendations! The place was very bust on Friday night and still we were seated pretty quickly. Food and drinks were very good. Ambiance was a little loud but it worked for us. Being in the Spectrum is a bonus. I would have given this 5 stars if the price point was a little more reasonable. read more

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I've been to Javier's in Newport numerous times. Great! Maybe it's location. Location. Location. Yesterday me and a friend went to the Irvine location. Nice setting, and the wait staff was great until... We ordered a chicken quesadilla to share. I ordered a cadillac margarita (great). It was very good, using their own brand of reposado tequila. My friend ordered a Moscow Mule, which typically comes in a copper mug, but came in a regular old fashioned glass??? Admittedly a Moscow Mule is not in the Mexican wheelhouse; but, worse, my friend did NOT like the taste. She asked the waitress if they could take it off the bill and bring her the same thing I was having. She consulted with the slick, suited manager in the corner, stealing glances our way; and they turned her down at first, saying she had consumed more than half of the drink. Seriously! Not true, but more importantly, any classy restaurant in OC would gladly bring her another preferred drink without argument, despite the amount of the alcohol/liquid remaining (his word against hers) and chalk it up to good faith and future positive word-of-mouth. Fortunately, this slick manager must have reconsidered when we pressed the issue. It was not on the final bill. Thank you! We even ordered a third margarita to share. The bill at the end, with tax and tip, came to $121 for...are you ready ....quesadilla and three cadillac margaritas. Really! Very high-priced quesadilla (I guess to make up for the moscow mule) and $22 cadillac margaritas. We decided over a gelato and chill time watching people stroll by, that we would never go back to this Javier's again. read more

Mid food that is overpriced. Javier's is in a great location within the spectrum center and usually you'll find it packed with people in the area for business. I decided to try out the restaurant by sitting at the bar- the service was great! I got a skinny margarita which was the right amount of strong and then tried out the enchiladas de vegetables with sides of rice and beans. The enchiladas were just ok. If you're wanting to be social, this is your place but don't go solely for the food. read more

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The food here was amazing!! The trio seafood enchiladas were so delicious. The steak and seafood tacos were amazing too. The service was very kind but quite slow. That's a shame it was slow considering it was half full. The ambiance was great also. A very cool place to bring people to hang out with a fun vibe. read more